Pyrophoric lighter



Sept. 7, 1937. H. SILBERKNOPF PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed OCT.. 2l, 1936 Uf i INVENFOR. MQ/V 5x1. BE/a ,ZA/OPF BY l A'I'rORNEYl Patented Sept. 7, 19,37

I PATENT OFFICE PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Hans Silberknopf, Vienna, Austria Application october 21, 1936, serial No. 106,743 In Austria November 25, 1935 Claims.

`This invention relates to improvements in ignition devices and has particular referencel to a pyrophoric lighter.

-Heretofore a type of lighter has been used wherein a fuel-containing casing is slidably mounted in a sleeve member and connected to a wick cap in such manner that when pressure isv applied to the casing in one direction to move the same relative to the sleeve member, such movement will, through said connection, adjust the Wick cap to an open or uncovering position so that the wick may be lighted. There is further provided a spring means operable to automatically restore the casing and wick cap to their normal positions when the casing, which must be held in its operated position against `the tensio of said spring means, is released. y f

In the proper manipulation of the above-described lighter, the outer sleeve member is gripped in the ngers of one hand with the index nger embracing said sleeve member at the top thereof adjacent the wick cap, and with the friction wheel of the igniting means disposed on the inner side of the lighter nearest the thumb so that said wheel may be conveniently engaged by the thumb preparatory to exerting a downward pressure upon the casing which carries said wheel.` The sleeve member is of ,such length that theiirst .A

three fingers of the hand will engage therewith, but the little finger will be free, that is, disposed beyond the lower end of the'sleeve member and casing before the latter is depressed. Then, when the casing is projected downwardly by the aforementioned pressure upon the friction wheel to move the wick cap to open position, at which time the wheel is rotated by the thumb to ignite the wick, the little nger is gripped around the projected portion of the casing so as to prevent its return to normal under .the influence of said spring as long as it is desired to keep the wick uncovered. With the lighter thus in operation,

the sleevemember and casing must be firmly held in the lingers without any shifting of the lighter in the hand since any release of the grip of the little vinger upon the casing will permit of an inadvertent restoration of the casing and cap to normal, with a consequent extinguishment of the flame. Due Ato this inability to shift the lighter in the hand during the period of ignition of the be burned; also, the handling of the lighter is considerably restricted and it cannot be passed from one person to another without the closing of the wick cap.'

wick, the index finger is in close proximity to the ame and unless care is exercised the nger will- The present invention is designed for the purpose of overcoming thel above diiiculties by providing an improved latching means which will be effective, during use `of the lighter, in preventing restoration of the wick cap to normal position under the influence of the spring means previously mentioned, thus avoiding the necessity of maintaining a continuous grip upon the casing and enabling the lighter to be shifted in the hand or4 'passed to another person. l

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a, variety of mechanical expressions one'of which, for purposes of illustration, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a, side elevation of the lighter constructed in accordance with the inventionand with the parts in normal position.v

Figure 2 is a. View similar to Figure 1 but taken` at right angles thereto.

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the parts of the lighter in operated position, and

Figure'fi is a section taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

As illustrated, the lighter comprises the cylindrical fuel-containing casing 5 provided at its lower end with a closure B for an opening in the casing through which fuel is injected, and at its upper end with a wick tube 1 having a wick 8 mounted therein. Secured along the casing and extending beyond its upper end is the usual holder! for the pyrophoric element I0 which is adaptf ed tobeengaged by the friction wheel I I rotatably supported ina bracket I2 at the upper end of said holder, the element III and wheel II being so situated with respect to the Wick 8 that when said wheel is briskly rotated the sparks from the pyrophoric element will impinge upon the Wick an ignite the same. A l 'I'he casing 5 is slidablymounted in an openended cylindrical sleeve member I3 and, in the normal position of the casing, the same is enclosed within said sleeve member with the exception of the upper end of the casing. However, when the Y casing 5 is moved downwardly and longitudinally of the sleeve member bythe exertion of pressure upon the friction wheel carried by the casing the lower end of the latter is projected from the sleeve member to the position shown in Figure 3, in which position the WickV 8 is recessed within the upper end of the sleeve member which then acts as a Windguard for the Wick after it has been ignited by a turning movement of the friction'wheel. A wick cap Il has its opposed arms I5 pivotally connected at diametrically opposite points, as at l ing is forced downwardly preparatory to igniting the wick, means are provided for moving the cap I4 about its pivot to an uncovered position relative to the wick. This means is in the form of a yoke I1 pivoted to the arms I 5 and extending laterally therefrom. Joined to the intermediate portion of the yoke I1, as by an eye I8, is one end of a connectingelement I9v the other end of which is secured to an intermediate portion of the casing 5 by means of a curved plate 20 extending circumferentially of the casing so as to straddle the element I9 and riveted or otherwise suitably 1 secured to the casing and to the connecting element. The element I9 is preferably in the form of a flat rod made of spring metal, and said rod and yoke I1 are so proportioned that when the parts are in the normal position of Figure 1, the upper end of the connecting rod is sprung outwardly. The ,upper portion of the element I9 is normally disposed between the edges of a cutout portion 2I formed in the upper end of the'sleeve member I3. When so disposed, vthe intermediate portion of the plate 20 which straddles the element I9 projects into the slot 2| and is guided by engagement with the edges of said slot when the casing is moved relative to the sleeve member, and vice versa, and also by reason of such engagement said intermediate portion assists in preventing any rotary movements of the casing and sleeve member with respect to each other. From the lower end of thecutout portion 2| to the bottom of the sleeve member the latter is formed with an outstruck portion 22 which provides a groove open at its upper end to receive the element I! and closed at its lower end by an inturned por-1 tion 23 constituting an abutment the purposesv of which will presently appear. In the side wall of the casing .5 the same is instruck to form a groove 24 which extends from the bottom of the casing to a point intermediate the ends thereof` and with the parts assembled said groove 24 is in opposed relation to the groove formed by the outstruck portion 22, thereby combining therewith to form a channel. The groove 24 receives the abutment 23 and the engagement of the latter with the walls of said groove also assists, together with the intermediate portion of the plate 20, in preventing any rotary movement between the casing and sleeve member. In said channel there is introduced a coil spring 25 the lower end of which engages the abutment 23 while the upper end contacts the adjacent end of the groove 24 and also the lower end of the element I9 and its holding plate 2li. 'I'he spring 25 is expanded in the normal position of the lighter but when the casing 5 is moved downwardly to th position of Figure 3, said spring is compressed so as to exert an upward pressure upon'the casing and element I9 while the sleeve memberis being held in the hand which pressure is sufficient to automatically restore said parts to their normal positions and thus move the wick cap I4 into covered relation to the wick 8 unless the casing is gripped in its projected position by the little nger of the hand. f

Means are further provided for releasably retaining the casing and wick cap in their operated positions after the wick 8 has been lighted so that an inadvertent restoration of the casing andv wick cap to normal positions under the influence of the spring 25 will be prevented. Said means is in the form of a latching device consisting of a detent 26 formed on the connecting element I9 adjacent its upper end and adapted, when the parts are in operated position, to engage in an opening 21 formed in the sleeve I3 adjacent its upper end. 'I'his engagement or latching position is eiected in the following manner. When the casing is forced downwardly by the pressure of the thumb against the friction wheel I I the projecting or upper portion of the connecting element I9 starts to move into the groove formed by the outstruck portion 22 and the upper end of the latter'engages the outwardly flexed portion of said element I9 so as to bend the same inwardly and thus place the element under tension. Upon reaching the extreme of its downwardmovement the detent 26 registers with the opening 21 and due to-the tension under which said element has been placed the detent projects outwardly into said opening and thus engages the upper edge of the opening to latch the casing, sleeve member and wick cap in their operated positions. When it is desired to restore the parts vto normal positions after the lighter has been used, the latter is held between the thumb and one linger with one of the digits engaged with the holder or tube 9 and the other with the eye I6. Then by exerting a squeezing pressure, the element I9 will be ilexed inwardly to disengage the detent 26 from the opening 21, whereupon the spring 25 will become eiective to force the sleeve member I3, which is no longer gripped in the hand, downwardly relative to the casing 5. This movement -of the sleeve member results in the connecting element I9 exerting an upward pressure upon the yoke I1 so that the latter, together with the wick cap I4, will swing about their respective pivots to position the wick cap in alignment with the tube 1 and thus receive the Wick 3 therein as the sleevemember approaches and reaches its normal position.

What is claimed is:

1. A pyrophoric lighter, an open-ended cylindrical sleeve member having an outwardly offset portion forming a longitudinal groove and said when the casing has been moved to a position in which said cap has uncovered the wick, and a spring in said channel compressed by the relative movement of said casing in one direction so as to become eil'ective to move said sleeve member in the same direction to thereby restore said l cured at one end to said casing and connected at its other end to said cap for adjusting the latter to covering and uncovering positions with respect to said wick when relative movements occur between said casing and sleeve member, means acting upon said connection and sleeve member to urge said cap toward its covering position, and a detent formed on said rod for engagement with a portion of said sleeve member to releasably retain said cap in uncovering position and saidl casing in the position wherein its wick is exposed to said igniting means. f

3. In a pyrophoric lighter, an outer sleeve,I memberv having an oiset portion and a slot aligned therewith, said offset portion having an opening therein, an inner. casing having sliding movements in said sleeve member, cooperating igniting means carried by said casing and includ,- lng a wick, a cap for said wick, a resilient rod movable in said slot and having one end secured to said casing for movement therewith into said voil'set portion, the other end of said rod being connected to said cap, a detent on said rod enf Agaged, by the resiliency ofthe latter, inthe openzodng in said oiset portion to latch said cap in an open position relative to said wick when said casing is moved in said sleeve member, land a spring in said offset portion tor restoring said cap to covering position relative to said wick when said detent isdisengaged from said opening by connected to said cap, a plate for securing the 'rst named end of said rod to said casing and having a portion projecting into said slot and engageable with said offset portion during movements of said casing to retain the latter against rotary movement relative to said sleeve member, a detent on'said rod engaged by the resiliency of the latter in the opening in said offset portion to latch saidv cap in an opened position relative to said wick when -said casing is moved in said sleeve member, and a spring in said oiset portion forv restoring saidcap to covering position relative to said wick when said detent is disengaged from said opening by pressure upon said rod.

5. In a pyrophoric lighter, an outer sleeve member" having an offset portion and a slot aligned therewith, said oii'set portion .having an opening therein, an inner. casing having sliding movements in said sleeve member. cooperating igniting means carried by said casing and including a. wick, a cap for said wick, a yoke car,

ried by said cap, a resilient rod disposed in said slot, means to secure one end of said rod to said casing, the other end of said rod being normally 4bowed outwardly from said casing and terminating in an eye for receiving said yoke, a detent on said rod adjacent said eye and guided into said opening by engagement of said rod with said offset portion when the casing is moved in said sleeve member, said eye forming a means to thereafter flex said rod to disengagesaid detent from said opening, and a spring in said oiset portion acting upon said rod torestore said cap to its covering position relative to the wick atte disengagement of said detent.

' HANS, SILBERKNOPF. 

